


The Hero of Legend

by ameliechelmey



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Mastersword, Recovered Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 17:53:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10995948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ameliechelmey/pseuds/ameliechelmey
Summary: A memory that I imagine Link recalls as he discovers the Stalnox in Hyrule Castle.





	The Hero of Legend

**Author's Note:**

> It has been an incredibly long time since I wrote something, I apologize if it's not amazing, but I think it's not bad for a first try in a long time. This is one of those headcannon things about what happened in the past. I'm hoping to write more on his thoughts and perspectives in relation to other parts of the game and other recalled memories.

The Hinox fell to the ground with a crash and a groan as the beast breathed its last. The Captain and fellow soldiers stood mouths agape as he stood and sheathed his sword. Link straightened, and as the adrenaline faded he began to feel all of their eyes on him. Pursing his lips and trying to walk while hiding his fading confidence he marched toward the Captain and prayed to the Goddess that he hadn’t done something horribly wrong.

“Cadet, you are coming with me. Immediately.” The Captain then stalked off, and Link followed behind, now with more fervent and fearful prayers to the Goddess. He was so sure that whatever he’d done, it was going to get him kicked out of the knight’s order. Despite Link’s careful observation of the captain’s every move as he marches ahead, he couldn’t figure out what was happening. Or, for that matter, where they were going. Having dedicated himself to training, Link hadn’t taken any time to explore the castle to get a feel for the layout. Not that he was allowed to do that, but still, the other cadets liked to sneak around at night, hoping to catch a glimpse of the princess. Thinking that rude, and slightly perverted, Link had taken to ignoring the other cadets’ foolish activities.

Amidst Link’s worried thoughts, the Captain stopped abruptly in front of him, nearly causing the fearful cadet to crash into him. Luckily, he shifted his momentum in time to instead stand at attention behind his Captain, who, now Link noticed, was stealing glances at him with a hint of surprise and almost… pride? No, that wouldn’t make much sense, he thought. They stood in front of a large and ornate set of doors, with intricate designs of the kingdom’s insignia etched into the golden exterior. The rest of the hall that they stood in was equally beautifully decorated, with tapestries depicting the heroes of legend hanging from the walls. Link honestly wished he could look over them, but he knew that now was in no way the right time to wander off and appreciate art. Even as he entertained the thought, the large doors parted and the captain began walking inside. Link, of course, followed. 

The room they now entered was spacious and full of natural light. Curtains with the triforce emblazoned on them hung from the ceiling, and their tassels swayed ever so gently, as if they’d been pushed long ago and the momentum had left them swaying only a few inches. Royal guards were positioned about every ten feet, and Link remembered his father saying something about how much he disliked throne room duty, having to stand so still for so long--

Realization hit Link like a rock. Throne room. He couldn’t be in the throne room. He stole a glance ahead of his tall superior who conveniently blocked Link’s view and, lo and behold, they were walking towards the king. Sweat began to creep down the back of his neck, and Link straightened his posture in hopes of making up for whatever terrible crime he committed that would grant a hearing with the king. His Captain stopped and kneeled before King Rhoam. Link did the same.

King Rhoam sat on a golden throne resting on a platform a few feet above them. Though Link’s eyes were now fixated on the ground, from what he saw when walking towards him the king had long, flowing white beard and was dressed in royal garments that looked richer than anything the cadet had seen before. King Rhoam spoke with a deep, soft voice that commanded more attention than one would guess. “Captain Mils, what is the meaning of the urgency with which you’ve requested this meeting?” Link attempted to remain as still as possible, keeping his head down and his face blank. Whatever was happening, it was best to stay quiet for now. He wouldn’t dare look up to check, but he could feel His Majesty’s eyes on him, wondering the same thing that Link was: why was he here?

Captain Mils cleared his throat, still kneeling, and raised his head to answer. “Your Majesty, I have an urgent manner to consult with you regarding one of my cadets. He--” 

The king held up a hand to silence him. “Captain, do not tell me you’ve called upon me to settle a disciplinary issue.” His voice held an air of threatening to it, that His Majesty would be openly displeased if that were true.

The captain spoke hurriedly, barely avoiding tripping over his sentence. “No, Your Majesty! I would not waste your time with trivial matters.” Captain Mils paused, Link sensed hesitation in his actions. “Your Majesty, this regards the calamitous issue that you instructed me to keep watch for. I believe I have good news.”

A silence hung in the air for a moment, and again Link felt eyes upon him. After a moment, the King’s voice filled the room. “I see. Rise, Captain, and do inform me. I’m anxious to hear.”

Captain Mils rose and bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty. One of my newest cadets has been showing great promise and dedication in his training.” The captain’s sincerity and pride behind the words surprised Link. Throughout all of his training, he had felt in no way welcomed by his fellow cadets, that had been part of his reason for focusing on training. They had all ridiculed him for his age and his smaller size, but he had felt determined to ignore their ridicule and press forward. Knowing that he had actually been noticed in his efforts surprised him. “This newest batch of cadets,” the captain continued, “had been a little disappointing, as you already know. However, this one in particular has far outranked all of them. Today he completed the final trial to knighthood in record time, faster than even my best men could do.” Again, Captain Mils cleared his throat. “And, well, Your Majesty, due to what I have seen, I believe that he has potential to be the hero of legend that we have been searching for.”

The whole room stood still, everyone, even the royal guards, seemed to be holding their breath. Link, himself, feared moving, as if now he were on the thinnest ice and a single movement would destroy the stillness of the room.How could he be the hero of legend? What was King Rhoam going to do, he wondered. Yell? Laugh? Link would understand if he laughed, maybe then it would be revealed that this was all some sort of strange knight’s hazing, and then it would be over.

King Rhoam broke the heavy and serious silence. “Young cadet, rise” he asked with quiet but firm authority. Link rose silently and stood at attention, face blank, for he was scared to show any form of emotion, fear, nerves, or otherwise. “What is your name?”

It was at this instant that Link realized his throat was dry, his vocal chords seemingly gone. In the span of seconds that to Link felt like hours, he mustered a quiet response. “Link.” Captain Mils glanced at him panickedly, and Link quickly added “..Your Majesty.”

Speaking those few words seemingly exhausted him. There was such a heavy blanket on the room, as if what was happening here was determining the fate of the kingdom, and for all Link knew, it could be. King Rhoam nodded in response and spoke again, this time with a softer edge to his voice. “Link. I see, how old are you, Link?”

Again Link spoke only the bare minimum necessary “17, Your Majesty.” Again, King Rhoam nodded. 

“Do you understand what has happened, Link? You have the potential to be given a great deal of responsibility.” He paused, and sighed. “Our kingdom has been trapped in a battle between forces of light and dark, benevolence and malice for generations, and the time has come again for us to fight in this ancient battle. You have to potential to be our Chosen One, Champion of the Hylians in the upcoming battle, but there is one final test.” King Rhoam rose, and stepped down from the platform which is throne rested on. With a wave of his hand he beckoned over a royal guard, quietly speaking orders into his ear before continuing. “In order to prove whether or not you are our Champion, we must see if you are chosen by the legendary sword. Link, Captain Mils, come with me.” 

The king walked through a second doorway different from the one that the captain and Link entered from. A guard followed behind the group as they progressed down a set of stairs that was significantly less ornate than the halls and room that they were in previously. These walls were nothing but stone, cold and damp, with candles to light the way as they progressed down the stairwell, arriving at a sturdy wooden door. King Rhoam knocked on the door, and Link made out a guard’s eyes through a crack in the door as he seemingly inspected the visitors and then opened the door with a creak. The king walked with purpose through into the next room, Captain Mils and Link following closely behind. 

Their steps echoed as they came to a halt in a large and well-lit vault, with nothing in it but a sword in a pedestal. Link looked to sword, feeling an immediate draw. He steped forward, slowly, carefully, afraid to break this connection but also wanting to get closer. It was almost as if a voice was calling out to him, telling him to have courage, have faith, to come closer.

“This is the sword of legend, crafted long ago and destined to seal the darkness.” The king glanced at Link as he continued. “Only the hero chosen by the sword may wield it, and if you are the hero as Captain Mils and I suspect, then you must attempt to wield the sword.” Rhoam’s words fell on deaf ears, as Link focused on the voice calling to him, entranced by the sword.

He approached the pedestal, examining the sword closely. It shined enough to illuminate the space around it, giving the area around it a feeling of sacred solemnity, as if one was standing on holy ground. The voice within the sword began calling louder, Link hearing nothing else. He realized he’d been holding his breath and drew air in slowly, reaching for the handle and finally, finally, grabbing hold of it.

As soon as his hand meets the sword, a thousand images of a thousand battles flashed before his eyes. Heroes, all who look so familiar to him yet are only strangers pass by in fleeting pictures. In the sky, traveling through time, through water, through dimensions, he sees them. Then, as he sees the images, the voice calls out to him again. “Link… Link… Open your eyes… This… is your destiny. Only you can defeat Ganon, it is your destiny. Wield the sword, and fight.” The sword appears in his hands, and he holds it in front of him, examining the blade. A bright light surrounds him, and a beautiful figure appears before him, unlike anything he’s ever seen before “Go,” the figure speaks, the voice as mystical and indescribably beautiful as the image, “Go, and bring peace to Hyrule.”

The trance ended and the silence of the room hit Link’s ears painfully. He gasped for air, and looks down at his hand, where the sword was firmly grasped within his fist. He lifts the sword and examines the blade, the beauty of its shine, the comfort of the handle, he swung it around to get a feel for the blade, and then remembered he isn’t alone in the room.

The King and Captain Mils stare wordlessly at sword. Link walked to them slowly, sheathing the sword in a sheath that somehow ended up on his back, though he had no idea how or why. Link looks to King Rhoam, who watched him seriously, sternly, thoughtfully, and then after a second droped it all to smile and laugh heartily. “You’ve done it!” He grins. “I will alert the kingdom immediately. We have found our champion!” He clapped Link of the back, leading Link to grunt in surprise. “Captain Mils, I leave it to you to give him proper quarters, we shall reconvene soon to discuss your new role, Link.” The King left with a surprise jaunt in his step, and leaving Link as equally bewildered as Captain Mils. The Captain gawked at him for a moment more before straightening himself out and clearing his throat. 

“Cadet--Excuse me--Link, come with me.”

 


End file.
